Old Primary School of Archanes
Near the northern entrance of Epano Archanes we find the Old Primary School of Archanes. The Didaskalio, as it is known, is a classic sample of neoclassical urban architecture of the early 20th century that was used in many schools in Greece. It was built during the period of the Cretan State at the site Patitiria, although its completion was completed in 1927. Its study was started in 1899 by the architect Nikolaos Saliveros. Construction started in 1901 and was evered by state expenses and donations from locals living in America.
The elegant building is two-storey, built of stone, with wooden floors and a tiled roof. The ground floor and the basement have a floor plan in the shape Π, while the first floor covers only the middle part.
The school at the beginning of the Second World War housed the patients of the Pananio Hospital of Heraklion and the Battle of Crete. During the German Occupation of the island, it was used by the German Division of Muller and later of Kreipe. Kreipe had left the same building before being abducted in Patsides and transported to Egypt by Allied forces. After the liberation, it was used by resistance forces, while in 1945 it reopened as a school.
After the transfer of the school to modern buildings, the school housed the Municipality of Archanes. Today the building has been renovated and houses services of the local Municipality, the branch of the Open Greek University and ASPAITE.
